14-02-20, 10:38 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Over the hill and far away
Posts: 8,158
Copied from the FZ1OA, a lovely tribute from Mike ( Falcon )
I first met Luke back in 2003 when he brought his Fazer Thou to me to have Ivan's slip-on kit fitted. His was probably the third or fourth installation I did. Back then he was a big guy, if you get my drift. Suffice to say that the stock rear shock wasn't up to Luke's specifications.
He lived just the other side of town from me and the next time I saw him, he'd installed a nitrous kit on the bike and had it over-bored to 1060cc. Figure 170bhp at the rear wheel when he hit the gas button. Still on stock suspension. Fair to say that Luke wasn't too fussed about dragging pegs but liked straightline 'go'.
We saw each other on and off numerous times in the following years, even though I'd moved to Spain in 2004. Every Gen 1 he bought - and there were many - he got me to 'Ivanize' for him, even though his spannering skills were superior to mine. I spent many days working out of his little lock-up garage in Bristol, a swarf-strewn, oily rag filled place, with old carpets on the floor and boxes of bits on every surface. Those bits included all the genius ideas he had for improving or just blinging up the mighty Thou.
Dogged with health issues for all the time I knew him, I never once heard him complain. He just took what life threw at him and looked to make it better, for himself and for his family. His love for Sue and his kids was clear to see, as strong as his love for life.
There was no such thing as 'can't be done' in Luke's mindset. Got a health problem? Deal with it. Want a holiday in the USA? Make it happen. Feel like fitting a single-side swingarm to Fazer Thou? Get 'er done! We've all seen the amazing things he did with his bikes, and not just the Fazers. He just loved taking something and making it better. Better looking, better performing, better to own. He was proud of his creations but very modest about his achievements.
His local motorcycle main dealership almost banned him from their sales floor because he was forever there measuring up suspension units and trying to figure out which shock or whatever could be grafted on to his latest project. The R6 shock mod which hundreds of us now enjoy came about from Luke scrabbling around underneath pretty much every mark of sportsbike that Fowlers had in stock.
I could go on recalling the feats of this great guy and those who were lucky enough to know him will have similar stories to tell. Our lives are richer for having known him. There's a permanent parking place in my memory for Luke and his machines.
Speed on the straights, mate, easy on the curves. Smooth tarmac and warm rides from here on in.
Mike[/color][/td][/tr][/table][color=rgb(0, 0, 0)][/color]